The UK police are seeking the way to make Nominet, the online registry in charge of the domains in .uk zone, able to seize domains in case they have reasonable grounds to think those are used to infringe the law. This means that the websites would be closed down even before the warrant or trial.

With the news from the US on the background, where the controversial COICA legislation has been approved by the country’s Senate’s Committee, the UK seems to be mulling the same domains seizing attempts.

As for the US, its COICA is supposed to provide the Department of Justice with a guide of how and when to close down sites providing access to illegal downloads or sale of copyrighted material. Meanwhile, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the country didn’t wait for the law to be enforced and recently seized over seventy domains of the websites accused of relating to copyright infringing content.

Now, the UK’s Serious and Organized Crime Agency worries about the fact that Nominet, the online registry, has no clear obligation for a domain not be used for committing an offense under the country’s criminal law.

The Agency believes that the Internet registry should amend its Term and Conditions and add there a “contractual basis”, stipulating that Nominet has the power to seize domain names in case it has the reason to suspect they are used to violate the law. Such reason may be a request from an identified country’s Law Enforcement Agency.

While it’s not clear enough for what kinds of crime the Agency would demand the seizure of a domain name, the UK’s Digital Economy Act is close to the moment of being enacted, so those crimes will surely include copyright violation and peer-to-peer.

Currently the issue is discussed on whether such safeguards as appeals process would appear necessary. Besides, another question on agenda is what kind of information and support responsible officers in Law Enforcement Agencies might need from the industry to understand when action is appropriate.

Although the timetable for when the suggestion is adopted isn’t set yet, it still looks disturbing, as it can provide police an easy backdoor nuclear option of seizing sites accused of copyright violation even without proving their case in court.

lol@ dj inferno we should've give some gold bullion that would 've got us the word cup 2018 ... wouldnt stress to much folks they cant even decide on whos voting for what on student fees lol now listen up MP.S make any laws you like we just not listening to em anyway so come to me home and have a good olde toot on me peace pipe then get back to the palace of westminster and make cheaper drugs :) peace me ye olde politicains